Unblest such repose is, Its waking is near, And the eyelid uncloses, Still wet with a tear. But tho' sad 'tis to weep O'er incurable woes; Sad, the dream-disturb'd sleep; The woes of the mind From hearts without feeling, The gay, the unkind. For saddest of any Is he, of the sad, Who must smile amongst many Where many are glad; Who must join in the laughter, To plunge deeper after In grief more profound. Oh, such smile's like light shining On ocean's cold wave, Or the playful entwining Of sweets o'er a grave; And such laugh, sorrow spurning At revelry's calls, Like echoes, returning From lone empty halls." SONG, "When Sorrow first was known on earth, No power could oppose him, Until, one day, plump buxom Mirth Determin'd to depose him : With brow of gloom the demon frown'd, But Mirth, of birth divine, Pale Sorrow in a goblet bound, And drown'd him there with wine. But soon as from the goblet's brim Young Mirth perceiv'd the demon grim To give repose to men,— He fill'd the bowl again." TASSO. HISTORIANS relate, that Tasso gave very early proofs of his great genius, and that, at the age of six months, he not only spoke and pronounced his words clearly and distinctly, but that he thought, reasoned, expressed his wants, and answered questions; and that there was nothing childish in his words but the tone of his voice; that he seldom laughed or cried, and that even then, he gave certain proofs of that equality of temper which supported him in those trying misfortunes to which he was so unfortunate a victim. Towards the end of his third year, our poet's father was obliged to follow the Prince of Salerno into Germany, which journey was the source of all the sufferings of Tasso and his family. The cause of their journey was this: Don Pedro, of Toledo, Viceroy of Naples for the Emperor Charles V., had formed a design to establish the Inquisition in that city. The Neapolitans were alarmed at it, and resolved to send a deputation to the Emperor; and for that purpose, they made choice of the Prince of Salerno, who seemed most able, by his authority and riches, to make head against the Viceroy. VOL. I. Before Bernardo (his father) departed with the Prince on his embassy for Germany, he committed the care of his son to Angeluzzo, a man of learning; for he thought a boy could not be too soon put under the tuition of men. It is related, that, at three years of age, little Tasso began the study of grammar, and at four, was sent to the College of the Jesuits; where he made so rapid a progress, that, at seven, he was pretty well acquainted with the Latin and Greek languages, and, at the same age, made public orations, and wrote some pieces of poetry, of which the style is said to have retained nothing of puerility. At the age of nine, he addressed the following lines to his mother, when he left Naples to follow the fortunes, or rather misfortunes, of his sire. POETRY. "Ma del sen de la madre empia fortuna Ch'ella bagno di lagrime dolenti Con sospir mi remembra, e de gli ardenti Preghi che sen portar l'aure fugaci, Che i'non dovea giunger piu volto à volto Fra quelle braccia accolto Con nodi cosi stretti, e si tenaci, Lasso, e seguij con mal secure plante IN ENGLISH. "Relentless fortune in my early years Removes me from a tender mother's breast; That bath'd her kisses when my lips she press'd! No more to her unhappy son 'tis giv'n Th' endearments of maternal love to find! No more her fondling arms shall round me spread; Like young Camilla or Ascanius, led To trace the footsteps of my wand'ring sire.” JAMES THE FIRST'S CONTEMPT OF PERSONAL SATIRE. It was never the practice of James to visit with severity, failures in the respect due to his person; for his temper, though subject to gusts of passion, was, with some exceptions, placable, and his genuine love of wit pleaded strongly in behalf of literary offenders. To this effect, Howell, the letter-writer, has given the following anecdote: "As I remember some years since, there was |